By Wondossen Assefa (MD)
I am a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned in a narrow cell with few of my comrades, we have two luxuries; the first is a very small compound for exercise, it is enclosed with concrete walls, a wire mesh covering the top, the only thing we can see in the sky. As the famous English poet Oscar Wilde wrote in his immortal poem entitled “The Ballad of the Reading Goal’’ If I recall correctly it says, ‘’ Under that tent of Blue which we prisoners call the sky’’.
The second luxury we have is a TV set, but we are allowed to watch Ethiopian television only. One of these days while watching ETV, I heard the prime minister of Ethiopia inviting the second-generation diaspora (those born abroad) to come to visit the prospering Ethiopia. I was quite shocked at the paradox of the message conveyed. It made me fall from smiling at the satire to weeping grief at the prevailing peril of my people. Although I hate to be reactive to propaganda, I decided to say a few things on the issue.
The invitation entitled “Back to origins” and also colored with phrases like “come back to your roots” are fascinating slogans, the likes of which need the services of an advertising genius. The package comes with an Airline ticket and hotel discounts, alluring project documentaries, and glossy posters. The marketer is Abiy Ahmed Ali; making it hard to resist for the targeted customer segment.
The problem is the reality on the ground is not as it is displayed on the screen saver. The Prosperity Party regime which is known for its “convince and confuse strategy” has this time marked the younger diaspora for confusion. The regime wants to sell the idea that Ethiopia is prospering by exhibiting its superficial projects which has no fundamental impact on the country’s economy. The projects are a series of luxury collections of palaces, resorts, hotels, parks, Disney land-like playgrounds, and dancing fountains the likes of which are found in fairytales. The projects have consumed billions of dollars of the country’s hard-earned foreign currency.
The “come to connect with history” is funny, when we consider holding the Ethiopian flag or displaying it on your clothes or bags is tantamount to signing your death warrant in the current Ethiopia.
The current situation in our country is quite different from what the regime is telling the public. Politically there are several issues, among them is the case of Adds Ababa. The city is targeted for takeover by the Oromia region. The strategy employed is making Addis Ababa irrelevant. The tactics are dispensing city government positions to cadres of the Oromo prosperity party; putting a siege on the city by creating a mother city called Sheger, which enclosed Addis Ababa practically cutting it off from the rest of Ethiopia, and taking basic supplies hostage. Although the constitution grants the city self-administration. The regime is working on demographic change and forcing both private and public schools to teach the Afan Oromo or face closure.
The regime has imprisoned Amhara politicians, activists, journalists, and tens of thousands of youth. There is a prevailing state of emergency declared in the Amhara region and most of the country.
Economically there is a double-digit inflation driving price escalation on house rent, transportation costs, and commodities. This has resulted in widespread hunger both in cities and the countryside. According to the Fortune newspaper published on Nov 29, 2023, a report by a multitude of international organizations indicated “Around 70 million people are plagued by inconsistent access to meals and 25 million people go by days without food in Ethiopia”. Recently the country has defaulted it its debt payments making it less credit-worthy to international lenders
Socially it is Ethiopia’s youth who have been denied their current livelihood and future. To cite a few examples; after being subjected to learning under faulty education policy for decades, the reason changed the policy overnight and announced that out of the 845.267 students who took the national secondary school leaving examination; only 27.267 passed; therefore 96.7% couldn’t join colleges and universities.
Those who managed to complete their university education after years of academic pursuit have failed to secure employment. According to the Addis Ababa City Industry Bureau, out of the 1,560,000 youth in the city, only 18% of them are employed.
In a country where the minister of health reports that the health coverage is 43%, thousands of medical doctors are unemployed. Those who secured employment earn a meagre 30 USD per month which is equivalent the cost of a plate of dinner at Halala Kela resort.
The security problem is very serious, there is an active Amhara genocide and displacement in Oromia. There is war in both the Amhara and Oromo regions. According to GPE (genocide prevention Ethiopia), more than 31,000 Amharas have been killed in the Oromo Region in the past 5 years alone, and that is only based on partial information as many of the deaths go unreported. On the other hand sources inside the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission confirmed that there are 4.3 million people displaced in Ethiopia; out of which 2.2 million live in host communities. It is impossible to travel out of the capital for fear of the rampant kidnappings.
These issues of genocide, displacement, war, road blockage, property damage, sexual assault, and kidnappings may seem exaggerated but while these are only the tip of the iceberg; the following are testimonials of civic organizations governmental agencies, religious institutions, and international organizations.
Testimonials
Testimonial -1:- Consortium of Ethiopian human rights organizations
The consortium reported that “It has become a culture that security forces in Oromia commit human right violations and go unchecked” The report cited a very recent example on the night of NOV 23 2023; 17 members of a single family were killed in Sherka wereda, Oromia, Arsi zone.
- Nine people were killed in a church in Kellem Wolega, Oromia
- Eight members of another family were also killed in the same zone, Lebo Kebele.
Testimonial-2:- Ethiopian Human Rights Commission
EHRC has issued an extension report on Tikimit 19/2011 E.C. about the genocide, sexual assault, mass imprisonment, and drone attacks in the Amhara region. Whole towns like Ataye have been burned to the ground nine times; while the town of Awura Godana in Minjar, north Shewa, Amhara had been bulldozed off.
Testimonial-3:- The national conflict identification study
The study revealed that from 2010-2015 E.C a total of 5300 conflicts in the Oromia, Amhara, and Tigray region has been region have happened. These conflicts have resulted in the displacement of millions of people, property destruction, and genocide. The study further confirmed the participation of government officials in the genocide, displacement, rape, and diverting humanitarian aid. It further confirmed that the conflicts were designed by government institutions.
Testimonial-4:- The policy study institute
The institute reported to the Ethiopian parliament on Tahisas 8, 2016 E.C that due to security reasons it has restricted its activities to Addis Ababa and DireDawa cities.
Testimonial -5:- The National Dialogue Commission
In a press conference held on Tahisas 12,2016 E.C, the commission’s spokesperson testified about the commission’s failure to hold public consultative meetings in Amhara and Oromia regions, which constitute 70% of the country
Testimonial -6:- the civil societies council
The council announced on Tahisas 1,2016 E.C that civil organizations have toiled to work in Amhara and Oromia regions due to security reasons.
Testimonial-7:- The St. Lalibela monastery
The monastery is one of the major tourist attraction sites in Ethiopia. The abbot of the monastery in an interview he gave to The Reporter, an Amharic newspaper, on Tahisas 10, 2016 E.C said “There is a considerable risk for visitors who plan to visit the monastery in the upcoming Gena Holiday (Ethiopian Christmas) due to the ongoing war in the area.
Testimonial-8:- The Ethiopian Catholic Church
The Catholic Church gave a statement on Tahisas 9,2016 E.C that its Priests and Deacons had been kidnapped by armed groups and released after negotiations in Western Shoa & Meki towns
Testimonial-9:- The US government
In a recent testimonial at the United States US foreign affairs committee, two senior officials. The US special envoy to the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer and USAIDs African Bureau Assistant Director Tiller Benkelman have given testimonials about the current region. In summary, both said that Ethiopia is transforming into to rogue nation with rising human rights violations internal Conflicts in Amhara and Oromia, and engaged in an increasing arms race. They also testified about the unchecked inflation, server foreign current shortage, and sinking credit rating.
Testimonial-10:- The African Development Bank
The ADB, issued a statement recently about two of its employees being beaten and imprisoned by government security forces extra judicially; the ADB is plumy to relocate its headquarters to another country. Over and above there is an epidemic of malaria and diarrhea disease in the new southwestern Ethiopian regional states, affecting millions of people secondary to the Federal Ministry of Health. The region is home to Halala Kela Resort Elephant Lodge and Chebera Churchura Park
Kidnapping of civilians, and asking for ransom money in millions is happening in Oromia, it is even rumored that higher government officials are meditating on ransom payments,
Amidst all this chaos, the higher officials of the ruling Prosperity Party are busy decorating their affairs and spending millions of dollars of public money on exotic furniture. They keep a fleet of luxury sedans & cruisers in their garage· When traveling abroad they travel with their full domestic staff including gourmet chefs· They entertain their cadres with lavish banquets and parties like these in Beverly hills· Each higher officials live like on Arabian prince, or more of a Silicon valley tycoon less the yacht
To this circus is invited the Ethiopian second-generation diaspora. Our children, the second-generation diaspora are a learned lot, most are endorsed with quality education and are quite smart in the ways of the world, I hope they will see this fallacy in this confusion strategy.
But if, that is a big if, for those who respond positively to this invitation, it would be· Consenting to have your lunch served on a gold plate while sitting on a pile of petrifying garbage·It would be spitting on the faces of millions of people struggling to survive and make ends meet It would be being part of the Amhara genocide by contributing money for more drones
Let us say
No!! Not in my generation!
Yewondwessen Assefa (MD)
Prisoner of conscience
Kality A.A Ethiopia
Tir, 2016 E.C (January 2024 GC)
